Archive for the ‘My family stuff’ Category

I can finally share this! My 13 year old daughter Alexa’s artwork (a rainbow that says L♥VE) is featured on various t-shirts that are FOR SALE through www.papercloudsapparel.com!!!

Even MORE exciting she also has 2 prints for sale as well! (a flower trio (flowers), and an owl (named Love Bird)! View those here: http://www.papercloudsapparel.com/product-category/greetingcards5/

There are bamboo shirts, prints, and greeting cards for sale! Fifty percent of everything raised during IDSC’s block (Jan 21st – Feb 4th) will be donated directly to IDSC (International Down Syndrome Coalition), a cause very dear to my heart! SO PLEASE support the cause, and pick up a super cool t-shirt, print, or greeting cards! I know Alexa would LOVE to see YOU wearing a shirt with HER artwork, while supporting people with special needs ♥

The beautiful “rainbow with love” illustration was done by 13 year old Alexa. Alexa is an aspiring journalist/illustrator and she dreams of one day having her own series of poems or children’s books published.

Lauren (Alexa’s mother) wishes she would have had the ability to connect with an organization like IDSC when she was expecting Alexa. At that time there was nowhere for her to turn to get the support she needed or to hear the truth about what life with someone who has Down Syndrome was actually like. Now, 13 years later, having the IDSC to connect with is beyond amazing for both Lauren and Alexa.

I am so proud that Alexa’s artwork was picked amongst MANY other talented artists! I know she is just over the moon with excitement as she awaits the arrival of her own works of art! To be able to team up with such an amazing company to raise money for such a great cause is beyond words!

Is it lame that I still get excited about my birthday? Each year I view it as a new milestone, and hope and pray for the health, love and happiness of my family. I feel so blessed each year as I know first hand how precious it really is. Granted I don’t like the getting older part. I would swear I was still 23 not turning 33!! I have so much to be grateful for.

I just stamped the flowers in chocolate ink, then added an adhesive pearl to the flower cetners.

I added a string of pearls, and pop pom ribbon to the tiered layers for the added details you would see on an actual cake.

I think we can agree it all really completes the WOW! factor of this cake.

It only took about 40 minutes to make this. Can you envision gifting this to someone filled with chocolate truffles? Or these as centerpieces at a birthday party, bridal shower, or wedding. OH! These would be stunning wedding favors! You can re-size them to suit your needs!

Many wondered if there was ROOM in here to fit gifts.

YES!

The directions tell you how you can package up your gifts, while completing your design. Honestly the completed version is a gift in itself, don’t you think.

That being said I made a card to match!

Best Wishes

I felt that would cover ANY event I wanted to gift this for, if I can ever muster the strenght to actuallly give it away! LOL!

I love versatility in sentiments when creating a gift set that I’m not sure what occasion I want to use it for. It is handy to have some general gifts/cards on hand for last minute occasions, or if you don’t have the mojo or time when the occasion hits.

This post is coming to you from Lauren’s Design Team, not from Lauren herself. We wanted to let you know what’s going on since Lauren has SO many faithful and devoted followers. Lauren’s daughter, Alexa, was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia a few days ago. Unfortunately, she is progressively getting worse. Right now she is only using 25% of her right lung to breathe…the rest is filled up with “junk”. Her condition is severe enough that she has been transferred to a bigger hospital that can better manage her condition. It took the docs no more than 20 minutes to admit Alexa to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at this hospital. Lauren has limited access to the internet; however, she is a mom first and foremost, and is completely focused on her daughter right now. That being said, the rest of her life is on hold. On top of everything going on with Alexa, Lauren has been diagnosed with pneumonia and a sinus infection. So, she’s not only coping with her daughter’s condition, but her own as well.

While Lauren is tending to Alexa at the hospital, you can contact Kristin [kristinbueter@yahoo.com] with any questions or concerns about products.

Meanwhile, please keep Lauren, Alexa and the rest of the family in your prayers. Lauren is 100% devoted to her family but she also considers her customers and followers to be part of the My Time family as well. Feel free to leave comments here for Lauren. She’ll enjoy reading them with Alexa when she is well enough to come home. If you would like to send a card (or Dunkin Donuts coffee to Lauren – ha ha to raise their spirits, please send them to her home address:

Alexa Kauppila
11 Manchester Street
Pittsfield NH 03263

Huge THANKS to this amazing group of papercrafters! We know your prayers will be appreciated.

I have LOTS to share! First some family stuff, then some fun stamping stuff!

As always I have tons going on, but cannot complain because my children are happy & healthy (I remind myself of that as they are fighting with each-other like cats and dogs these last few days!).

Alexa is celebrating her 3rd year going into remission from Leukemia! She is just growing before my very eyes into a young lady. It’s actually freaking me out a bit 😀 She is ALMOST 11 now! She got cancer shortly after turning 6. You can read her story HERE!

Any-who, I won’t get into the emotional roller-coaster that I get on this month each and every year, but I am so grateful she is alive and well 😀 Time has truly flown by.

Here is a recent photo of her, taken on Easter

I made a donation in Alexa’s honor to the Relay for Life 😀 It is the LEAST I can do to support ongoing research.

My friend Tracey is participating in the relay-if you decide to make a donation, you can view her site —> HERE!

Now I have to share a photo of the other 2 kids too, before moving on 😀

Here is Noah-

He is doing great since I shared about him last. He is SO tall. Just a couple inches shy of my shoulder (and I’m 5 ’10!).

Here is Amber (after Easter Egg hunting!-very messy)

I can’t believe she is going into first grade soon! MY BABY! How is it possible?

Now here is my 4th child Gabriella!

OK actually she is my niece-but since I was around her mom’s entire pregnancy (they lived with us) and I was there for her birth she feels like she is one of my own (kinda like I’m a dad! LOL!). I love her to pieces. She is now 15 months old! She is so funny, and full of energy! She just runs all over the place. I bought her a bubble machine for Easter, and she LOVES it-hence the bubbles in the photo 😀 I bought her that dress too! As I look at I’m getting inspired!

I know MOST of you are visual, and you like SEEING ideas, so I quickly stamped out a few patterns (these took like 30 minutes) to get you started! There are some more completed project samples below too-so SCROLL down!

Just some ideas for you…..

Top left is the main pattern from the set that I used to create all these combinations! There are 14 total-but I am certain YOU can think up even more! Now keep in mind that is using *just* the large pattern as my MAIN focus! There are 4 other large building “block” patterns in the set, as well as several FABULOUS accents that can also create AMAZING borders, or group patterns!

The large pucker pattern measures: 2 X 2 3/4 inches!

*Keep in mind you can also use the single pucker circle (large or small version) to make a ROW just like the grouped patterns I created in the samples to follow*

Now for some CLOSE UPS!

PS I just wanted to get the pattern ideas out-don’t mind the HORRID color choices! LOL!)

1) STUNNING pattern possibilities in a variety of colors!

Now remember you can stamp the main block several times to cover a large area 😀

2) This design has a ton of possibilities

3) This one I used the X like flower/image and rotated it. I couldn’t see I THING since it was dark and rainy! OH! WELL! You get the idea! Plus it add character right?

4) SO cute!! Imagine this as a backgrounder!

5) LOVE this one!

6) Another one I LOVE! (I think its the flowers 😀 -that image alone can do great things!)

7) Check out Kristin’s Blog! She used this pattern below on her card today! I love it.

8) Simple, yet striking!

Now here we have 6 more patterns for you, using the SAME block as above!

9) OK my colors are awful, and my cardstock has a smooth coating which kept resisting the ink (grr) but all that aside-very cool possibilities.

10) Again-same coated cardstock, awful colors, but you can get the idea! JUST PLAY AROUND OK!

That is what I was doing 😀

11) Think how cool this could be….

12) I so love this one

13) Another great possibility!

14) I totally loved this one most.

Now we move on to the other patterns which have a TON of possibilities that I didn’t even have the time to cover (but have plenty of samples further down to share)

This one shows you how the bottom 3- Lattice, Pucker Cluster Solid, and Pucker Cluster Open- can all be used to create a pattern ALONE, or layer perfectly together, as seen in the above top 2 to the left!

NOTE: this is an ALL family post, so if that isn’t your thing, you may want to skip it. I am really happy with the way things went so I’m sharing it!

Well I DID it! I was able to accomplish my goal of getting our family (Christmas) photos done BEFORE Halloween!!! Last time we had our photos done I did this, and SWORE I would always go before Halloween. The problem is the time creeps up on you, and this was already a busy week. BUT I made it a priority, and we got it done! Gotta love the TO DO list 😀

Also if you kids are a wee bit older, you can ask for a later evening time to ensure you are in and out. Most younger kids are in bed! If you go during the day it can be busy with babies and toddlers, so keep that in mond. I’m by no means a photographer, and don’t know if this is all exzsctly true, but it is my personl expierienc as a parent, from getting my children’s photos over the last DECADE!

Going before Halloween is so much less busy, there are good deals, and you get your stuff MUCH quicker!! People aren’t thinking CHRISTMAS yet!

The DOWNSIDE to going BEFORE Halloween is you can’t get any Christmas backgrounds, so if that is your THING then you will want to wait! I didn’t want a Christmas themed bkgd since these are going on my walls, so I just dressed us in cheery holidayish colors!

Photo Tips:Now they tell you keep clothing SOLID, darker colors are best, and LONG sleeves, so it doesn’t distract from your face!

SO for the first time we gave Target a try! I have to say I was impressed!

We had a coupon and paid no sitting fee, only $3.99 a sheet and got a FREE 8 X 10 !

Funny thing happened: When I was picking out photos I kept saying “I’ll take that in 81/2 X 11”-and the woman was like “You mean 8 X 10? ” I’d say “Yeah that is what I meant!”, then I’d do it again. I had to apologize and tell her I kept thinking about cardstock sizes and that is ALWAYS the measurement that pops into my head! LOL!

With the coupons we saved $150!! We ended up buying like $130 worth of photos! LOL! So we saved more than we spent, and given the fact we haven’t had photos done in like 2 years that isn’t bad at all! All I know is if Jay doesn’t have a heart attack, its a good deal!

The camera was a Nikon like mine! I kept telling Jay I NEED that lens she had for Christmas! LOL!

Another PLUS: For ONLY $4.99 you can buy the online service that allows you to legally share your photos online, email them to family/friends, post them as your screensaver…..all sorts of stuff, which is nice!

Now I am going to share ALL my photos here (legally!) I have to admit it was REALLY weird seeing myself with DARK SHORT hair! It looked really nice when we left the house, but it was raining (GRR!) and they had NO mirror! Oh well. The kids looked good, so that is all that matters.

Since the kids are all older it went really well. OH! That and we did promise them each a box of candy if they cooperated! I’ll be honest, with three kids I am NOT above bribery!! A mom has to do, what a mom has to do! Plus we don’t celebrate Halloween, so they won’t be getting loads of candy this weekend.

So without further delay here we go!

Family Photo 1

Jay & Noah have the SAME sweater on! Amber and Alexa are dressed the same too. I always like to make them match!

Me, Im just in a black shirt. Trying to blend!

Family Photo 2

Family Photo 3

OK so I think this was the one we got for our Christmas cards and Im totally kickin myself! I loved the one just above this! GRR! It was HARD to see on their screen and they couldn’t put them side by side. Once I got home and could access them online I saw I liked the one above this! Oh well.

I’m going to call anyway this morning and see if we can change it. EEK!

Family Photo 4

I liked this one, but wasn’t a fan of us on our knees. We look strange! Maybe if we CROP it!

This was very funny……

I thought this one was SOOOOO cute! The kids got a kick out of it too.

The woman said it should be our Christmas card, but I want people to SEE the kids faces, and NOT gross them out too! LOL!

Jay & I

Who is that with my husband! LOL!

It isn’t often we have a photo of Jay and I

Now we have our trio

Then this is where they try to make you go for broke……..

This would be $30!! Thankfully I wasn’t a fan of the framed images, and heck, I am creative, I can make my own collage!

Here is Alexa

I LOVED this photo of her. I was really proud of her that she smiled and kept her chin up! We ONLY got this one close up because the second after this shot was taken, a tear streamed down her face! She is VERY shy and having a stranger in her face made her scared and SAD! Poor girl! So we let her off the hook.

Now we get back to the UP-SELL. The woman saw how much I loved this photo…..

Talk about pulling on mom’s heart strings! I felt bad saying NO! But it gave me a FAB idea for making my own 😀

I love this photo of her because it is a genuine Alexa smile 😀 She is doing so well, I couldn’t feel more blessed.

Now we have Noah

How did he get so OLD? He will be 7 on November 13th! He is a whole head taller than Alexa (who is 10) I can totally see him as a TEEN here! He is in the CHEESY smile phase, but she did a good job getting him to really laugh.

Here is his close up

Love the toothless smile!

Last but not least, Amber

I think she could have just posed and posed forever. The woman suggested I bring her back for her own photo day! LOL!

You can tell she doesn’t feel good in this one. What a cute lil face.

Then her close up….

She actually does this head tilt thing on her own alot when she wants something, so I thought it was really cute.

I really loved ALL the close up photos she did.

I’m not doing School photos since they come out TERRIBLE, cost $15 for ONE sheet, and don’t make your child look good at all. Last year Noah had a FAB smile but they layered him on a NEON blue bkgd! I paid for GRAY she claimed that was the correct color from what I ordered. Apparently SOMEONE is color blind, and I know it isn’t ME! That one just went into the drawer!

SO once these come in I will be changing our frames.

Thanks for letting me ramble on Its not often we get group photos done. I should TRY to go more often. These years REALLY fly by so quickly. Before I know it I will be asking for photos of my grandkids!

Now more to know-Pink Cat Studiois having a release this week on Thursday! Peeks begin tomorrow 😀 Check out the blog for your chance to win the Fairy Friends set being released—> HERE!

Today was a beautiful (HOT!) day here in NH! We haven’t had many of those this year.

I took the kids to a really cool sprinkler park for the first time today in Derry NH! My friend Lisa told me about it, so we got the kids together and made a day of it.

It was SUPER cool and FREE! Now that is a great day trip 😀 I just brought drinks, watermelon cubes, grapes and snap peas-and we called it a day!

Today was one of those days that you TRULY enjoy being a mom and love every second with your children. You realized how fast time passes and how blessed you are to have them 😀

Here are some cool photos highlighting our day:

My 3 little monkeys

Girls striking a pose (makes me wish I had a sister growing up)

Photos of Noah

Now he starts to get into the sprinklers

We had to leave because his lips were getting BLUE! LOL!

The water was chilly (Alexa is doing her best to hide her face :D)

but refreshing….(now Amber is hiding!)

Now we have lil Amber

She did her best to NOT get wet! LOL! At first!

But that didn’t work so well

Before you knew it her and Alexa were dancing in the “rain”

Alexa just ran and ran all day, in the water

She had a BLAST too

Sadly she is very sensitive to sunscreen near her eyes. We have a tearless kids sport one, but it still usually burns her eyes. So you can SORT of see, she got burned right UNDER her eyes where the sun screen WASN’T! It would have been too close to her eyes if I put it literally right under. Go figure she’s get a burn right there! Her skin is SOOOO sensitive!

Oh to be a kid again.! We were out in the sun a whopping 4 hours. I was EXHAUSTED! (and mommy remembered to apply and reapply sunscreen to the kids, and NOT herself! LOL! SO I am BURNED! OUCH!) I came home and took a nap. As I type they are dancing and singing in the living room, running around in circles! Can anyone tell me WHY, with all the technology we have these days, they CAN’T figure out WHAT it is that gives kids this kind of energy, and put THAT in my coffee!?!

In all seriousness there are no words to say how much I enjoy days like this. Seeing my kids happy, HEALTHY and free spirited, running through the water. Living a “normal” life again. Days like this I often thought may never be.

This is my INSANE week. Not only do I have template stuff to do, but other design deadlines-END OF YEAR teacher stuff, and my kids have all sorts of field trips and after school social events. So I’m just plain ole busy.I got something very exciting in the mail yesterday!! Wait till you see.

You know how much I LOVE personalization and gifts like that right? Its seriously an addiction.

Well Upon GOGGLING such items, I found this UBER cool site called Bags of Love

BIGGEST Dilemma: WHAT photo to use. I wanted all of my family on there so I used our Christmas photo. We don’t get many FAMILY photos. Let alone including our sweet dog Daisy 😀

This is what it looked like-

I about bounced off the wall with excitement! I was just over the moon. It looks great, and the photo is a very soft, satinish kind of feel. LOVE IT.

I went with the tan since it would match like everything I buy.

Side 1

I now want MORE stuff 😀 I’m thinking tote bags for Alexa, Amber and Noah with their photos! I may even ask about scanning their art work onto a bag, and sending that in for them use in place of a photo 😀 Now that is cool!!

Other side

I was on the hunt for a cool makeup bag that would match everything! Now I needed one that would carry me for some time, because every time I get a new handbag- I get a new wallet, check book cover, makeup bag etc. I end up spending a ton of money with each Vera Bradley purchase! LOL! Now I have one that makes me smile every-time I look at it.

Plus it fits everything perfectly.

Inside view

Sooooooo, on the 29th I ordered that makeup bag, and it arrived on my doorstep on the 3rd! HOLY SPEEDY!

Just HAD to share my fun find with ya!! I’m thinking they’d make great gifts too.

The photo looks really good on there too. Honestly I was a littler leery to order, thinking it may be crappy, maybe the photo wouldn’t be good, so I didn’t spend a fortune. Now I’m wishing I got more. The quality and feel was super. Well made, not CHINCY. Im quite happy it . Their delivery time was right on. Im especially surprised since they are coming from the UK!

Stampavie had a Sketch Challenge that no only was I late for, but I obviously can’t follow other peoples sketches very well! I somehow veer off and just do my own thing in one way or another. OH! WELL! It was a start it this creation:

Its Amber’s favorite, and I always get teary reading it. Its definitely a MUST HAVE book for the family.

Well its about a mommy bunny and her baby bunny, and as they walk through the forest they talk back and forth. The theme for each page is Guess how much I love you? Then they go through and say how much, each time one out does the other.

In the end he goes through and says I love you all the way to the moon and back, as the little one falls asleep in the mommy’s arms. Its so sweet.

Well, Amber says to me-about a literal 20 times a day -randomly

“Mommy Guess what?!”

me-What?

You wanna know how much I love you?

I say “How much? This much (and I make a tiny amount with my 2 fingers)?

She says “NO! I love you THIS much (and stretches her arms as long as they will reach) and to the moon an back! And when I get bigger, I’ll love you even bigger.”

Then she takes her hugely (yet little) stretched arms and wraps them around me with a big squeeze.

AWE! That melts my heart, and no matter what is going on, in that moment, I just stop and enjoy the squeeze at my legs. Its the best feeling in the world. I know this won’t last forever, so I am just cherishing it.

So I made her this card-so we will always remember this time (I HOPE!)

I edited the top of this before I printed it because I realized most of this, OK all of this is just BLAH- BLAH -BLAH about my last few days-feel free to skip it :C I go into quite the rant. Sorry to be a downer.

I so appreciate the concern from many of you, with me being absent today. Long story-short, today the kids had no school due to more snow :C I think they will be in school through the summer if this keeps up-and I spent about 4 hours at the orthopedist with Alexa-who is now no longer going to be caring for MY daughter-ever again!

Yes I said a total of 4 hours!! With 3 kids! MISERY!!!!!!!!

He didn’t listen to me when I took her for her compalints of joint pain 2 years ago-which as you know turned out to be Leukemia, he said she was just complaining for nothing-despite my persisitence she NEVER complains, and something had to be wrong. Anyway today I realized my distaste for him wasn’t unjustified! He proved to be the same arrogant, and RUDE person I remembered.

I wont go any further, trust me.

Well I want to end today by saying thank you for all the concern and well wishes re: my headache’s. Each one hasn’t been a migraine, but pretty bad, for the most part.

Many mentioned caffeine-and cutting back. THIS IS KILLING ME.

You know what is funny (since that is typically true) I have cut down to ONE cup of coffee a day and increased my water intake. Im talking like 12 cups of h2o, in the bathroom every half hour. I am exhausted, and definitely withdrawing from it! LOL!

Im so exhausted.I have been exercising everyday as well. I am determined that by May 3rd-I will look and FEEL great. I have a goal and I know I can do it. I lost weight after Alexa, and Noah, and even Amber. So it will be WORK-saying NO to bad stuff, or just treating myself to a LITTLE bit, in place of a lot . Deprivation is NEVER a good idea, cause you eat EVERYTHING else to avoid that one little piece of whatever-only to then end up eatting that thing anyway!

Jason always say’s I’m perfect (as he should! LOL! ) but “I” want to be in SHAPE for ME! Plus I have more than a few pounds that crept up on me over the last few months that I want GONE. I only started Monday and already lost enough to NOT have to do a funny “squeeze into my jeans dance, because Ill be darned if Im going UP a size”! Today they went right on, no muffin top! LOL!

Its amazing what cutting back on sugar and soda will do-actually eatting breakfast, nothing past 7pm and and exercising can do!! I have a 20 min boxing video I love called Turbo Jam. You can lose 10 lbs and 10 inches in 10 days-seriously it works! BUT you will hurt in places you didn’t know you had!

As for the play place-it was AWESOME!! The kids I had in my group were great, and all of them were well behaved. It was actually fun. Now I want to take my own kids there. I told the teacher’s I want the same group, every field trip! LOL! It did totally wear me out and I attempted a nap after.

OK that was WAY long winded. Sorry!

I haven’t had much ambition to stamp due to my head aches, so tonight is SIMPLE!! A warm up card, since my mojo decided to go on vacation, without notifying me! So I apologize I got nothing earth shattering-till tomorrow.

I got inspired by a $1 gift bag from taget, and made this in like 5 minutes. Took longer to photograph.

The set is by Inkadinkadoo, and the celebrate you is from Simple Wishes by Papertrey Ink.

I do have a couple cards I made using suggestions for color combo’s from all of you!! YOU ALL ROCK! I printed all the comments so when I need a masculine combo!

So tomorrow-mid morning-Ill have my sketch posted, using a soon to be released set 😀

Do you ever get an idea for a project (OK non card project), and once your decide to put that project in motion you CAN’T wait?

Maybe its my OCD? I always make “lists” of things to do, and cross off as I go. I get a thrill everytime something is accomplished.

Well “I” got the bright idea to re-do the kids rooms Sunday afternoon. Just sitting there looking at all their CRAP!

So we went and bought what I thought was needed.

UGH!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I felt the rooms needed a make-over, a face lift of sorts. Also it wastime for my quarterly room review! This is when I got through all their toys and weed out what we don’t need, won’t use, and have wrecked or outgrown.

Since getting this “idea”, I was told by Jay we would execute it this weekend. Together we we purge, organize, paint, move furniture scrub every little thing owned.

Girls room first-repaint, new bedding, curtains decor-you get the idea. Amber needs a big girl bed-she is in a toddler bed now.

Well I woke up, had a good cup of coffee, and instead of stamping “I” spent the ENTIRE day puring, organizing, moving furniture, washing everything-walls, windows blinds nick-knacks you name it, and YES! Painted the entire room myself-all done and put back together, before Jay even got home!

The room looks so clean-and sweet. Once I finish the last details it will be perfect.

Now I hurt…………………………….everywhere!

Their room is now a pretty SOFT yellow, with like a Pink Passion and touch of orchid opulence!

Its a girly room-with alot less clutter, and their Princess and other girly things look great!
This weekend we will get Amber’s bed and a new rug. I also want to get 2 plastic picket fence panels to use as their headboards-then hang a flower garland across them.

Then-onto Noahs room! I am tempted to do his tomorrow-BUT I need to go to Target first to get his room decor stuff.

Despite the pain, I feel SO much better now that most of the work is over!

OK Sorry to ramble-I just had to let out a huge sigh and relish in my accomplishment of the day.

I also got the houser cleaned and dinner made-now THAT is a true miracle. Tomorrow is definitely Pizza night! Oh yeah and totally a stamp day-all three have school! YEAH!!!!

Well thanks for reading-if you did! LOL!

EDITED TO ADD: I will share photo’s once I get Amber’s bed and and the carpet 😀 Oh yeah- and its not anything like a pottery barn catalog! I wouldn’t be able to let them play in it if it was! LOL! So sometime next week I should be DONE getting the accessories